Greater Plans

 

Anne Tucker once said, “All art takes courage.” You may wonder how this is true. I mean, really, how hard is it to paint a flower on a paper? But the emotion and passion behind the simple painting is more intricate and complex than one might realize at first glance. It takes courage to put something up on an easel and call it your own, and at the same time, being prepared for acceptance or rejection.

 

Recently, CCA hosted their annual art exhibit. A variety of pieces were shown, ranging from bright, colorful paintings to exotic and unique sculptures. Although most creations came out perfectly according to plan, others took an unexpected turn. This was true for CCA 11th grader, Megan Mimnaugh, when her composition was accidentally altered. Truth be told, she intended to sculpt a perfect vase, but when she left it to set, the next time she placed her eyes on her piece, it was thrown to the ground. The once beautiful vase was reshaped into an awkward position. Confused and frustrated, Megan wasn’t sure what to do with the piece. With a few adjusted elements, the unique creation was made into something that was never seen before. The individual piece of work is now proudly standing in CCA’s Art Exhibit, capturing attention, and absorbing observation from multiple people from the CCA Community.

 

Megan’s sculpture is similar to the relationship between us and Christ Jesus. Although Megan had a plan for her piece, it was altered and turned out to be something incredible. Jesus is doing the same in our lives. We may think we know what we want in this life, but in reality, Christ may have something different planned out for us. Just as Jeremiah 29:11 states, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Pressing On

The most anticipated day for many students is the last day of school. And for 8th graders this day also means, graduation. On June 3rd, students will “cross-over” to high school and leave their middle school years in the past. Despite the fact that 8th grade students are pressing on forward, let’s take a short look back to see how they have progressed.

 

The Bahamas missions trip impacted and united many students who came back changed and on fire for Christ. Middle School Vice Principal, Mr. Michael Ellis, tells about the Bahamas.  “Watching the students prepare for this missions trip since 6th grade was a great experience.” For CCA 8th grade student Ryan Day, the Bahamas was definitely the high-point of his year.

 

For Savanna Sweeting, the drama scene gave her many other opportunities to get close to her class. “Being a part of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory production helped me build relationships with those in my grade, as well as other grades.”

 

Preparing academically for high school can be challenging for some 8th grade students, and this year was no different, as students went through that transitional phase. Here at CCA, students are provided with challenging instruction within a creative and Christ-centered environment, with supportive members of both our teaching and pastoral community.

 

When Andrew Davis tells about his year in general, he says, “It’s been pretty good. Personally, I’m changed spiritually. For example, devotions are an important routine in my day.” He also tells how he believes “there are so many leaders in 8th grade, but they haven’t stepped up all the way yet.”

Mr. Ellis also told how he was “very pleased with the class, and also had a wonderful time watching spiritual growth in the grade. It also pleases me that even though students have their different friend groups, they unite when tragedy strikes.”

 

Unification when tragedy occurs is evident in the 8th grade and has been proved this year. Dealing with expulsion, death, and other sorts of problems, the class has come together to stay strong no matter how tough the issue. The grade is now pressing on towards the goal to win the prize through Christ Jesus, just as Philippians 3:14 says.

 

Midle School Cheerleading Tryouts

Progression is crucial in the sport of cheerleading. For example, beginning the sport when you are young will be an advantage to you as you grow older. Here at CCA, we have many opportunities for girls to fulfill their dreams of being a cheerleader. Eventually, students are eligible to try-out for the middle school cheerleading team.

When starting out in school, young girls need an outlet to express their creativity and joy. This is why cheerleading is such a great sport for girls. For the youngest girls, 4 – 7 years old, Calvary Christian Academy holds Pee-Wee Cheerleading Camp during the summer. Girls learn the basics of cheerleading, and most of all, the spiritual aspect of the sport. Later on, they progress to Intramural Cheerleading, for grades 3rd-5th. This is when the girls learn more advanced parts of the sport, and even get to cheer at a basketball or football game. Then, students advance to middle school. The pressure arises, and 6th-8^th graders must try-out to earn their spot on the team.

Recently, middle schoolers attended a two-day after school clinic where they learned all the material they would perform for the judges the next day. The girls then gave the judges all they had at a try-out, aiming to gain a spot on the team. Judges evaluated the girls to see if they had what it takes to call themselves an Eagle cheerleader. Not only would they take into account skill level, but also spiritual and academic maturity.

The team for the 2009-2010 school year cheerleading team has recently been picked. Congratulations girls! Enjoy the team.

 

Summertime. Summer Camps. Check ‘em Out!

Summertime. Beach. Friends. Endless sleepovers. No school. No homework. Relaxation. Summertime. Summertime…get the picture? Although these elements do describe the warm time off of school, summer camps are also a big part of this wet and sunny season.

To Twitter or Not to Twitter… That is the Question!

Arriving home after school, you drop your backpack, kick of your shoes, and head straight for your room. Then what? Homework or computer? Procrastinators like myself turn to the computer to update statuses, check endless notifications, receive emails, and catch up with friends that you saw just a couple hours ago at school. What’s the point in wasting all this time?

 

Keeping up with your social life is hectic and time consuming. Websites such as Facebook and MySpace let you know what’s going on in your friends’ life through statuses, and allow you to post and share pictures, videos, bulletins, and notes. But what if there was an easier way to share with your buddies what you’re up to without having to check ceaseless notifications and messages? This is why Twitter was created. It’s a form of technological networking created so you can immediately share with your friends what you are doing at that exact moment in your restless day.

 

When first signing up for Twitter, you send and receive “tweets” via computer, cell phone, or another hand-held device. Though some say this is exactly like text messaging, instant messaging, or emailing, Twitter can in fact send the same tweet to up to thousands of people in the same instant.

 

Twitter was first debuted in March 2006 and was a huge hit. Twitter users range from teenagers to co-workers, and celebrities to politicians who use the site to keep in contact with their friends, co-workers, fans, and constituents. The website has almost fourteen million users who utilize an average of thirty minutes per day, posting a total of about 2.25 million tweets.

 

Although Twitter is used for contact and sometimes even work, there are a couple of inadequate aspects about  the system. To start, the website can be a distraction. For example, a survey shows that most tweets are sent from a workplace during work hours. Workers should be busy during their job rather than tweeting. Another down side to Twitter is the small character limit. In a text message, the character limit is 160 characters, compared to tweets which are limited to 140 characters.  Also, emails are unlimited in characters, whereas instant messages may be very long, but still limited.

 

Twitter is a clever invention, but only commendable when used appropriately. When you should be busy studying for tomorrow’s math quiz, sending tweets probably isn’t the smartest idea. Letting Twitter completely take over your social life isn’t keen when you should be focusing on your spiritual and educational life. Catching up once and a while with your friends on Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter isn’t abominable, but it shouldn’t consume your life.

Remembering Bahamas Mission ‘09 – Trip 1

Waking up bright and early, dressing and brushing your teeth quickly, grabbing previously packed bags, and jumping in the car is the typical routine of a student on the day of a class field trip. But for us—forty CCA eighth graders on our first trip to the Bahamas—everything about that day would turn out to be just a little different.

I woke up bright and early just as I would on the day of any other field trip, only I prayed like never before. Two years ago, my mom attended the Bahamas Mission Trip with the eighth grade class. I remember being incredibly excited to reach that age so I could take part in the trip, as well. The thought of getting on a plane for the first time should have made me think twice about the journey, but it didn’t seem to faze me, not until we boarded the plane, that is.  

This was my first plane ride, and nerves aside, we arrived soundly in the Bahamas. “Wow, this is different,” I remarked as soon as I stepped into the Nassau Airport, and everyone couldn’t have agreed more. It was so different from the Fort Lauderdale Airport: the way it looked, the way it smelled, the way it felt. It was just . . . different.

All of us then crammed into another bus and headed to the Adventure Learning Centre (ALC).  That was another experience in itself. Talking, laughing, and taking pictures along the way made the ride more fun and enjoyable. When we pulled up to the ALC, we quickly unloaded the bus and gathered in the Dining Hall. There we talked about the day and Mr. Michael Ellis gave us directions about the remainder of the day. We then split into groups and got right to work helping out at the ALC and around the camp. Later that night, our large group walked to the ALC for an evening presentation at the planetarium. We ended the night with worship and debrief at the campfire before heading off to bed. Getting used to modifying our usual routine at home was a lesson in itself, but still enjoyable.

The entire second day we worked nonstop. Some worked at the ALC while others went to the All Saints Aids Camp to clean up garbage. In the midst of all this, when my group visited the All Saints Aids Camp, I got to personally meet the renowned Ms. Moxie. Her love outshined all others and her joy was just incredible. I saw that she had to be a child of God. Later that night, we were treated to a real Bahamian dinner, followed by a special campfire time. Mr. Ellis introduced “Five Chairs” that represented the people we, as students, should think about when beginning relationships in our lives.

On our third day we visited the All Saints Aids Camp for a second time, and continued to form strong relationships with the AIDS patients. After lunch, our team was divided into two groups to go either to Binley Lane Children’s Home or Elizabeth Estates Children’s Home to do service projects and to love on the orphans. The kids had endless energy, so we had endless love. At times it was frustrating, but I quickly remembered why I was there when I looked at their pure and innocent faces. Once again, we gathered around the campfire to conclude the day.

Our last day on the beautiful island was a memorable one. We enjoyed our day on Bay Street at the Market and Cabbage Beach. This was a time for our class to bond, as well as a chance to enjoy the well-deserved break. That night, the campfire time was like no other. Putting words to this time is a difficult thing to do; it was just absolutely incredible. Endless tears fell down our cheeks, forgiveness filled the area, and Jesus Christ was there.

Eighth grade students, remember the times we shared in the Bahamas. Don’t let this fade, stay strong in Christ, and remember your pinecone.

 

In Memory of James Reeder
After a tragic accident, James Reeder, beloved father to Avery and husband of Teacher/Coach, Tina Reeder, went to be with the Lord on Sunday, March 8, 2009. But just two weeks before that, God had sent James  on  a divine assignment—to go to the 8^th Grade Mission Trip to the Bahamas, where he served as an adult volunteer.  Below is a special report written by Secondary Vice Principal, Michael Ellis, as he shares this sweet moment in time…

 

The 8^th Grade Missions Trip is a pivotal time for the students and adults that are involved with it each year.  This statement carries more meaning to me and the students this year more than others. 

Volunteer adult leader, James Reeder, has much to do with this.  If you were to ask an 8^th grader what impact Mr. Reeder had on them in the Bahamas, most students would respond with “camp fire.” You see, one of the many ways James assisted me on this trip was to build and maintain a camp fire for us each night.  (I thought it was a no-brainer to have a fire fighter take care of this task.)  James never treated this task as trivial. He knew it was important because I asked him to do it, so he did it as unto the Lord.

The purpose of the fire was to provide light and warmth for us as we would discuss our day and its eternal impact on us.  However, the fire soon became a symbol of the flame that burned in each of us to do more for the Kingdom of God.  On our last night, James painstakingly stoked the fire, just as Christ was stoking the fire within us. As if he was challenging us to keep our fire as strong as his.  I know that I, as well as the other members of our team, will never look at a camp fire the same way again.